European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS)

This author's articles

• EDPS reports on EU institutions and bodies’ compliance with their data protection obligations

  21 May 2008
  On 14 May, the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) presented his general report measuring the implementation of Regulation (EC) 45/2001 on the protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data by the institutions and bodies of the Community.

• EU research and technological development

  20 May 2008
  Today, the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) adopted a policy paper which sets out his role and possible contributions to EU research and technological development (RTD). The policy paper develops possible models of contribution, both in the preparatory stages of an EU Framework Programme and with regard to individual RTD projects.

• European Data Protection Supervisor : Speeches and articles

  20 May 2008
  The EDPS and the Assistant Supervisor have invested much effort in raising awareness, not only about their institution but also about data protection in relation to various fields. They have attended numerous conferences and working group meetings and addressed data protection in the specific context of public security, developing information technologies, etc. Many of their formal interventions are available below.

• EDPS Opinion on ePrivacy Directive review: overall positive, but further improvements should be considered

  16 April 2008
  On 10 April, the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) adopted an Opinion on the European Commission’s proposal amending, among others, the Directive on Privacy and electronic communications, usually referred to as the ePrivacy Directive.

• Opinion of the EDPS on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Council Regulation (EC) No 2252/2004 on standards for security features and biometrics in passports and travel documents issued by Member States

  1 April 2008
  The EDPS welcomes the introduction of exemptions from giving fingerprints based on the age of the person or his/her inability to provide fingerprints. These exemptions are part of the fallback procedures that should be implemented. However, the EDPS still considers these exemptions as insufficient to remedy the imperfections of biometrics, such as the impact of misidentification or failure to enrol.

• EDPS preliminary comments on three Communications from the Commission on border management

  27 March 2008
  The comments focus on those measures raising data protection concerns, in particular the creation of an entry/exit system that would include the recording of travellers’ information, the use of biometric data and possibly the creation of a large-scale EU database to store these data. The EDPS emphasizes that, although driven by a legitimate goal - i.e. making EU borders more secure while facilitating travel for bona fide travellers - the proposed measures demand careful scrutiny as they involve large processing operations of personal data, with significant privacy intrusions.

• European Data Protection Day - 28 January 2008

  16 January 2008
  The Member States of the Council of Europe and the European institutions will celebrate Data Protection Day for the second time on 28 January 2008. This date marks the anniversary of the Council of Europe’s Convention 108, the first legally binding international instrument related to data protection. The Council of Europe’s website provides for a page dedicated to the event from which you can access - via the country flags list - the various initiatives that have been or will be undertaken across Europe to commemorate Europe’s second Data Protection Day. The EDPS is taking part in these activities.

• EDPS expresses serious concerns about EU PNR proposal

  26 December 2007
  The European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) today issued his Opinion on the recent proposal of the Commission for a Council Framework Decision on the use of Passenger Name Record (PNR) data for law enforcement purposes. The proposal involves obligations for air carriers to transmit data about all passengers on flights to or from an EU Member State.

• EDPS Opinion on RFID: major opportunities for Information Society but privacy issues need to be addressed with more ambition

  26 December 2007
  The European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) today issued his Opinion on the Commission’s communication on Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) in Europe that was released in March 2007. The Opinion deals with the growing use of RFID chips in consumer products and other new applications affecting individuals.

• EDPS: Implementing rules of Prüm Initiative should ensure accuracy in DNA and fingerprint data exchanges

  24 December 2007
  The European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) today issued his Opinion on the German initiative establishing implementing rules which are necessary for the functioning of the Council Prüm initiative. This initiative aims to step up cross-border cooperation, particularly for fighting terrorism and cross-border crime, by establishing mechanisms to exchange personal data such as DNA profiles and fingerprints.

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